Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to this month’s edition of my e-newsletter. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle the tough issues that will help lower the cost of living, help families get ahead, and build a brighter future for all who call Michigan home.

As always, I welcome your feedback on current issues facing Michigan or the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, and Utica communities. Constituent feedback is vital as I represent our communities in Lansing. If you are experiencing a problem with one of our state government agencies, my office is always available to assist with finding a solution. I respect your opinion and will always do my best to make myself available and accessible to you.

Please take a moment to visit my website, like my official Facebook page, send me an email or call my office at 517-373-0994. If you have any questions, concerns or opinions on what is happening, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Michael Webber
State Senator
9th District

The Michigan Supreme Court recently ruled on a case that will result in the elimination of the tipped wage for restaurant workers. The ruling claimed the procedure to amend an initiative once adopted in the same session was unconstitutional, ensuring that the tip credit will be eliminated over the next several years. This will result in — based on what has happened in other cities and states where similar policies have been enacted — the closing of one in every five restaurants and the loss of thousands of server jobs.

As someone who served in the Michigan House of Representatives in 2018, I voted to amend the initiatives because I support keeping the tip credit that is favored by most servers. Coming out of the COVID-19 lockdowns, I can only imagine how many additional restaurants would have closed over the course of the last few years if this was already in place. Now, we face a new challenge to come together in a bipartisan fashion to help our hospitality industry and servers before the February 21, 2025 implementation deadline. I stand ready to work with my colleagues and stakeholders to find a workable solution that will retain these jobs and businesses within our community and state. The time to act is now.

Click the image below to hear my remarks in support of our tipped workers and small businesses:

I recently appeared on Local 4 after being interviewed by Anchor/Reporter Karen Drew on my work protecting children seeking psychiatric treatment at the Hawthorn Center. A growing pattern of concerning events surrounding in-patient psychiatric care for minors has recently led to two major lawsuits against the state. It has become clear that more oversight and transparency are urgently needed regarding staffing at these facilities.

It remains frustrating that the majority party across the aisle continues to turn a blind eye and ignore the severe red flags surrounding the psychiatric care for minors in our state. The Legislature should ensure state agencies are spending taxpayer dollars on the people they are charged to serve rather than on lawsuits because of poor management. Michigan residents should be able to trust that young people in the state’s care will be protected from unnecessary and preventable harm.

Click the image below to watch the full interview:

During my discussions with local officials throughout the last year, there were a number of opportunities for investment put on the table, many of which had the potential to greatly benefit their communities for years to come. During negotiations over the fiscal year 2025 state budget, I made these local investments a priority.

Among the items included in the budget that was recently signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is $1.9 million for a new ladder truck for the city of Troy fire department. The new truck will enhance the fire department’s ability to serve residents by adding additional capabilities and allowing the department to respond to emergencies in a more prepared and timely manner.

I also worked with state Rep. Mark Tisdel to secure $2 million to help support building renovations at the Rochester Community House. This funding will enable the city of Rochester to renovate and expand the Rochester Community House to make it more open, more accessible and available to more people in our community. The Rochester Community House is a nonprofit located in Rochester Municipal Park and is a home for those seeking an outstanding destination where people come together for great experiences.

Additionally, I secured $1.5 million in funding to support improvements at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica. Jimmy John’s Field is a community success story, transforming decades of blight into a source of pride and economic support for years and years to come. With similar investments in the home fields of the minor league Lansing Lugnuts and West Michigan Whitecaps in the previous budget, it was only fair to push for similar help for Utica.

Finally, I worked to secure $3 million in funding for the Chaldean Community Foundation. The Foundation is a local nonprofit organization that offers full-service human and social services to the Chaldean-American community in Metro Detroit. This funding will be used to help build more than 200 units of affordable housing. The project will include retail, as well as living spaces, and will help numerous families and individuals get on their feet.

After the Modernize I-75 project removed natural sound barriers such as vegetation, Troy residents advocated for sound walls to be built to limit the increased noise pollution from the highway. Unfortunately, the only mechanism for funding sound walls is through direct appropriation from the state Legislature. I worked to secure $10 million in funding in the fiscal year 2024 budget to build two sound walls in Troy, which are scheduled to be completed in 2026.

In November 2023, I introduced Senate Bill 643, which would create a state transportation fund that would allow local governments to apply for funding to build sound walls to protect residents from harmful noise pollution. Recently, I was interviewed by The Detroit News about this bill and the push to build more sound walls in Michigan. It is important that we find a permanent solution for funding sound walls, and I will continue to advocate for the well-being of my constituents.

As co-chair of the bipartisan Michigan Legislative Aerospace and Defense Caucus, I visited Camp Grayling while it was hosting Northern Strike, one of the Department of Defense’s largest reserve component readiness exercises. Over 6,300 participants from 32 states and territories and five other nations converged at Camp Grayling to train.

Over the past four years, aerospace and defense employment has grown more than 14% in Michigan — first among the Great Lakes states. Michigan ranked second in the nation with $722 million in defense grant spending and second among the Great Lakes states — 19th in the nation — with $303.6 million in U.S. Department of Defense research and development-related spending in fiscal year 2022.

No appointment is necessary to attend. The 9th Senate District includes the cities of Rochester, Rochester Hills, Troy, and Utica, along with parts of Oakland Township, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights.